TikTok has released its first transparency report of the year, detailing the measures it has taken to protect users.
TikTok has been under ongoing scrutiny for its privacy practices, as well as for not doing enough to protect the privacy of minors. Not surprisingly, its 2021 Q1 transparency report addresses a number of issues the company will likely use against its critics.
The company says that during the first quarter of 2021, it removed 11,149,514 accounts for violating its Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. Of those, 7,263,952 were suspected of belonging to someone under the age of 13. For users in that demographic, TikTok has TikTok for Younger Users, with curated content and additional safeguards in place.
TikTok also says it removed 86.1% of videos featuring adult nudity and sexual activity proactively, before they could be reported. A total of 89.8% were removed within 24 hours of being reported.
Similarly, when it came to videos that featured harassment and bullying the company says “66.2% were removed before they were reported to us, and 83.8% were removed within 24 hours of being posted.”
It’s clear TikTok is working to address the criticism it has faced. It remains to be seen if such efforts will win over any critics.